The festival featured a total of 7 concerts, 2 of which were held in collaboration with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, at venues that symbolize the culture of Castelfiorentino.
The “Giugno Musicale Castellano” festival was a huge success; this year it featured no fewer than seven concerts, two of which were organized in collaboration with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, effectively doubling the number of events from the previous year.
The first concert, held in the courtyard of the Monastery of Santa Maria della Marca, featured the Ottoni del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino brass ensemble, conducted by Stefano Mangini, and the Squillibras ensemble from the Municipal Music School, conducted by Jasmine Conti.
Next up was the G. Verdi Philharmonic Orchestra with its performance of the musical fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf,” which featured the extraordinary participation of sculptor Davide Dall’Osso as the narrator.
The third event, organized by Venti Lucenti, featured a performance about the life of Giuseppe Verdi, while the fourth (and final) event in the monastery courtyard starred Claudio Fontanelli in a jazz-themed performance about Charlie Parker.
The concerts then moved to the Cambio Cultural Center, with three additional performances. The first evening featured a performance by the Orpheus Association Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Gabriele Centorbi, with a program of works by Brahms and Dvořák; the second evening also featured the Orpheus Orchestra, conducted by Giovanni Mancini, performing works by Robert Schumann, with Nicoletta Cantini as soloist. Finally, the last evening was organized by the Amici della Lirica Umberto Borsò with the evocative show “Verdiani Accenti,” featuring the winners of the 2025 Borsò Award.
“This year’s festival has truly taken another leap forward in quality,” says Mayor Francesca Giannì, “by bringing together all the local musical talents, offering a varied repertoire—from jazz to opera, from marching band music to chamber music— and fully showcasing iconic sites of Castelfiorentino’s cultural heritage, such as the Monastery of Santa Maria della Marca and the Cambio Cultural Center, further strengthening the vision of ‘Castelfiorentino, City of Musicians,’ which our Councilor Franco Spina—after evocatively envisioning it—is masterfully bringing to life, thanks in part to the talent and passion of the local community of organizations.”
The Councilor for Culture, Franco Spina, was understandably pleased and emphasized: “The rich and varied program proved us right; the large audience appreciated every concert, letting themselves be swept up by the artists’ professionalism, enthusiasm, and passion.” “This edition of ‘Giugno musicale Castellano’ was a true expression of history and heritage, of popular culture, professionalism, education, and inclusivity. The strong bond cultivated with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino further highlighted the talent, the focus on the younger generations, and the commitment that local organizations bring to fostering culture through music.”
The “Giugno musicale Castellano” festival was made possible thanks to the dedication of local associations, which curated the concert repertoire—above all, the “Orpheus” Association, the true driving force behind the Municipal Music School, the G. Verdi Philharmonic, with its tireless president Alessio Pontiggia; and the “Amici della Lirica Umberto Borsò” Association, which has been instrumental in introducing an ever-wider audience to the operatic repertoire.
Finally, we would like to thank the Cambio Cultural Center for its collaboration and the local company Il Melograno for the floral arrangements.
